A SECOND-HALF stunner from Robert Earnshaw may have graced Serie A itself - but no wins from six pre-season games and 12 goals conceded tells its own sorry story for Cardiff City.

Had Earnshaw's goal been the winner it would in a way have been fitting, but against Lazio last night, Lennie Lawrence's men were reminded yet again that carelessness gets punished at this level - friendly or no friendly.

As it was, the Italian giants scarcely deserved the victory, and their winner was down to a rare howler from new goalkeeper Tony Warner.

But hard luck stories are becoming a nasty habit already for this new-look City team and with the Coca-Cola Championship opener against Crewe just four days away now, you have to wonder what sort of state the collective mind-set among the squad is in ahead of the trip to Gresty Road.

Bluebirds fans must be praying that the last six games paint a false picture when the real business begins, and it must be said that friendlies can be a notoriously misleading indicator of how a team will fare.

But the least they had a right to expect was a solitary win out of six attempts.

So only Earnshaw's magic lifted spirits last night, and it was a real peach.

John Robinson and Graham Kavanagh opened up the Lazio defence to play the striker in on goal and Earnshaw checked before firing a swerving, 20-yard right-foot shot which left goalkeeper Matteo Sereni helpless.

Lazio were clearly second best to City's slickness and movement before the break but they came far more into it later on, even if they themselves looked a little surprised to have won the match.

City will spend the rest of this week working on the defensive deficiencies and the lack of concentration which have cost them so far.

"The first half was good, very, very good," said manager Lennie Lawrence.

"It's a long time, looking back well into last season, since we played as well as that at home.

"But the last 25 minutes was disappointing.

"I'm glad we are away on day one because defending at home, 70 yards from goal, we are daydreaming.

"Teams hit us quick and we are punished - we have to work hard on improving that."

Right-back Rhys Weston was, for the third successive match, in superb form.

He was Lawrence's man of the match against Spaniards Racing Santander on Saturday and was only edged out by Alan Lee last night.

It was Lee who claimed the opening goal against the Romans, heading Robinson's cross home clinically in the 27th minute.

By half-time it should have been 2-0, maybe even 3-0 because Lazio had barely raised a threat until then.

Yet when they did stir after the break, Goran Pandev's low drive beat substitute 'keeper Warner after 56 minutes.

City regained the lead eight minutes later with Earnie's cracker, but it's not in the Bluebirds' nature right now to do things simply and Christian Manfredini tied things up at 2-2 after 68 minutes.

It was then, with 10 minutes left, that Roberto Muzzi tried his luck from 25 yards and Warner, who tried to turn the effort over the bar, could only watch as it dropped over his shoulder and into goal.

Cardiff's two goalkeepers, Margetson and Warner, are so evenly matched that Lawrence has spent weeks trying to decide who should start the season, but Margetson, surely, now has pole position - and Warner will have to wait for his chance.

There is not too much wrong with City's attacking play, but those 12 goals against in six games don't lie.